The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHS) has constituted a special media team to monitor the 2026 Hajj operations in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
This was contained in a statement by IHR National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammad, and sent to The Eagle Online on Friday.
According to Muhammad, the committee comprises credentialed media professionals drawn from the print, online, and broadcast networks with extensive experience in the Hajj and Umrah industry.
The organisation said the team had been deployed across departure points and Hajj camps to monitor the conduct of pilgrims and officials.
It said that the team would document activities through video and photographs for inclusion in its 2026 Hajj Report to be submitted to the Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria after the exercise.
The committee, Muhammad disclosed is chaired by former Editor of Daily Trust and current Editor in Chief of Dateline Nigeria, Nasiru Lawal, while Soliu Oyesiji will serve as Secretary.
Other members include: Nuruddeen M. Abdallah, National Secretary of IHR and former Investigative Editor of Daily Trust; Sani Tukur, Director of Media Publications at IHR; Jidda Abubakar Usman, a veteran Hajj and broadcast journalist; Suleiman Tola, a retired Managing Editor of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); and Mustapha Hodi, Publisher of Bizpoint and an executive member of the organisation.
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Also in the team are: Hajiya Medina Dauda, a veteran media professional; and Maryam Najeem, Administrative Secretary of IHR.
The organisation said the committee’s mandate is to complement NAHCON’s regulatory role by providing policy direction and supervising the Hajj and Umrah industry.
Muhammad restated that the report will assist NAHCON in the regulatory policy framework for the Hajj ecosystem.
He added that the initiative would support data gathering on operational conduct, which would form part of the post-Hajj review process and guide recommendations aimed at improving service delivery.
He added that IHR, a faith based civil society organisation established in 2013 to monitor and report Hajj and Umrah activities in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, had activated its monitoring arm to further enhance standards in the Hajj sector.
